Lacee is SO nervous about going to Japan, but at the same time, she is SO excited! They had a 9 hour in-field orientation. She said she thinks that's mostly for the English missionaries because their time in the MTC is so short and it seemed to be stuff they have been learning for the last 8 1/2 weeks in her Nihongo (Japanese) classes.
The Provo temple is open again and she has been able to go again. She was at the temple last week and saw Sis. Harr! She said, "Isn't that crazy?! I was so excited to see her! I love her so much! It was weird to see someone that I know though. And even weirder to have someone call me Lacee. I'm so used to Babcock Shimai now that Lacee is hen (odd)."
Also from her email:
Oh and GUESS WHAT?!?!?!?! I SAW BRITT!!! (her roommate from BYU) :) It was pretty dramatic! haha We found out a time to meet today so I could say good-bye and take a picture before I leave. It was so great to see her though! She looks awesome and it was just fun to see her!
OK, so my cool experience with our kyudosha (investigator), Toshi. First off, I love him dearly. We have been teaching him since like our 3rd week here. Our sensei (teacher), Cook Kyodai, is Toshi. Anyways we went in for our last lesson, and we were talking and just kind of wanted to see where his faith was and how he was doing before we "got transferred" :). So we were talking and he really thinks he's a bad person, so we were talking a little bit about repentance again. While we were talking he was saying how he had apologized to God in his prayers but he still felt bad. So I had this thought pop into my mind, "Ask him if he's ever asked God to forgive him." It was the weirdest thing. It literally just popped in my head. And I was thinking, "That's weird. He just said he had apologized in his prayers." So I ignored it. Oh, and this whole time my companion is talking. So like 30 seconds later, it popped in my head again. This time I really felt like I needed to say it. So I waited for my companion to finish, and then in my hidoi Nihongo (awful Japanese) I asked, "Toshi san, have you ever asked God to forgive you?" He just kind of looked at me and didn't say anything for a minute. Then he said, "I don't think so." And so I told him that God wants to forgive us, and He will. Sometimes He just wants us to ask. Then I even had a scripture that I thought worked, so I had him read D&C 88:63-64. (For those who don't have access to the D&C, it reads, "Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you; seek me diligently and ye shall find me; ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. Whatsoever ye ask the Father in my name it shall be given unto you, that is expedient for you.") He read it and again just kind of sat there quietly. We let him think, and then I told him if he asked he would be forgiven. He said he really loved the scripture. Then in our closing prayer he prayed and apologized, but he also asked to be forgiven. Afterwards he said that he felt a little better and like he really had been forgiven a little. So that was pretty neat, and I was feeling really good about everything. I felt like I had really been led by the Spirit. Sugoi desho? (Isn't that great?) Keredomo (and yet), it gets better! So when we went back to class later, Cook Kyodai was teaching. He was talking about how we were teaching the fake kyodosha (investigators) but that they were still real people. He was getting a little flustered and excited as he talked about how sometimes the sensei (teachers) got answers to their mondai (problems) from the senkyoshitachi (missionaries). And then he was talking about how one time a missionary was talking about forgiveness, and just asking for it ... and that it was just what he needed to hear. As he was explaining it, it sounded so familiar. Then it hit me...it was my lesson!! It was what I had said! Then he apologized for being flustered because he said, "Sorry it's just that this experience happened today and I'm still just...ah." I almost cried right there. I was being led by the Spirit!! Through the Spirit, I had helped him with something he was struggling with. It was so awesome! I think I needed this experience so I feel like I can make a difference, and that I am in tune with the Spirit. It really was so neat though!
I honestly don't even know what to say. I'm freaking out a little, and this week has been ridiculous, so I don't even know what to write. I will eventually get some letters written, but probably not today! I still have so much stuff to do!
Tell Jer I say hi!! I'm sad I missed seeing him and Dant! :(
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